Expensive auto insurance can dwindle your checking account, especially in this economy. Doing a price comparison is a smart way to make sure you’re not throwing money away.
Lots of insurance companies contend for your insurance dollar, so it’s not easy to compare every insurance company and uncover the absolute best rates possible.
Companies offering auto insurance don’t list every available discount in a way that’s easy to find, so the following is a list of some of the more common and also the lesser-known insurance coverage savings.
As a disclaimer on discounts, most discount credits are not given to the overall cost of the policy. Most only apply to specific coverage prices like liability, collision or medical payments. So when it seems like you can get free auto insurance, you won’t be that lucky.
To see a list of companies offering insurance coverage discounts, click here.
The quickest method to compare insurance rates in your area utilizes the fact most of the bigger providers have advanced systems to give rate comparisons. All you need to do is take a few minutes to give details like if a SR-22 is required, driver details, daily mileage, and if you are currently licensed. The data is instantly submitted to insurance companies and they return quotes instantly to find the best rate.
When it comes to buying adequate coverage for your personal vehicles, there isn’t really a “perfect” insurance plan. Coverage needs to be tailored to your specific needs and your policy should reflect that. For example, these questions can help discover whether your personal situation will benefit from professional help.
If it’s difficult to answer those questions, then you may want to think about talking to an insurance agent. If you want to speak to an agent in your area, fill out this quick form or go to this page to view a list of companies.
Knowing the specifics of car insurance aids in choosing appropriate coverage and the correct deductibles and limits. The terms used in a policy can be impossible to understand and nobody wants to actually read their policy. Listed below are typical coverages found on most car insurance policies.
Comprehensive protection
This coverage pays for damage that is not covered by collision coverage. You need to pay your deductible first then your comprehensive coverage will pay.
Comprehensive can pay for claims like a tree branch falling on your vehicle, damage from getting keyed and damage from a tornado or hurricane. The maximum payout a car insurance company will pay at claim time is the ACV or actual cash value, so if the vehicle’s value is low consider removing comprehensive coverage.
Uninsured or underinsured coverage
Your UM/UIM coverage protects you and your vehicle’s occupants when other motorists are uninsured or don’t have enough coverage. Covered losses include hospital bills for your injuries and damage to your Hyundai Santa Fe.
Since a lot of drivers only carry the minimum required liability limits, their liability coverage can quickly be exhausted. This is the reason having UM/UIM coverage is a good idea.
Medical expense coverage
Medical payments and Personal Injury Protection insurance kick in for bills for EMT expenses, rehabilitation expenses and doctor visits. They can be used to fill the gap from your health insurance program or if you do not have health coverage. Coverage applies to all vehicle occupants and also covers any family member struck as a pedestrian. PIP coverage is only offered in select states and may carry a deductible
Liability auto insurance
Liability coverage will cover damages or injuries you inflict on people or other property in an accident. This insurance protects YOU against other people’s claims. Liability doesn’t cover damage sustained by your vehicle in an accident.
It consists of three limits, per person bodily injury, per accident bodily injury, and a property damage limit. You might see policy limits of 25/50/25 that means you have a limit of $25,000 per injured person, a total of $50,000 of bodily injury coverage per accident, and a limit of $25,000 paid for damaged property.
Liability coverage protects against things such as emergency aid, bail bonds and structural damage. How much coverage you buy is up to you, but buy as large an amount as possible.
Collision protection
This covers damage to your Santa Fe resulting from a collision with an object or car. A deductible applies and then insurance will cover the remainder.
Collision insurance covers things like crashing into a ditch, hitting a parking meter, crashing into a building, sideswiping another vehicle and backing into a parked car. Collision is rather expensive coverage, so you might think about dropping it from lower value vehicles. You can also increase the deductible to get cheaper collision coverage.
Cheaper 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe insurance is definitely available on the web in addition to many insurance agents, and you should compare price quotes from both in order to have the best price selection to choose from. Some insurance companies do not provide online price quotes and these smaller companies work with independent agents.
We just covered many tips how you can lower your insurance rates. The key concept to understand is the more companies you get rates for, the more likely it is that you will get a better rate. You may be surprised to find that the lowest priced insurance coverage comes from a small mutual company. Some small companies may often insure only within specific states and give getter rates than their larger competitors like Allstate, GEICO and Progressive.
As you shop your coverage around, do not reduce needed coverages to save money. Too many times, consumers will sacrifice liability limits or collision coverage and discovered at claim time that a couple dollars of savings turned into a financial nightmare. Your goal should be to buy enough coverage for the lowest price.